Nut-lock.



. 110.844,972. T TATENTTD TEB.'19,1907.

J. 1 1. THOMAS.

NUT LOCK.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 20, 1906.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES R. THOMAS, OF HUNTINGTON, WEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR TO THOMASNUT-LOCK COMPANY, OF HUNTINGTON, WEST VIRGINIA, A CORPORA- TION.

NUT-LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 19,1907.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES R. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States,residing at I-Iuntington, in the county of Oabell and State of W estVirginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inNut-Locks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for locking nuts against retrograderotation to prevent the same from working H the bolts to which t hey areapplied,and contemplates specifically means of this character to preventthe nuts of the securing-bolts of rail-joints from becoming loose andworking off and allowing the meeting ends of the rails connected by thejoint to spread.

The object of the invention is to provide simple and effective means forsimultaneously locking all the nuts of the securingbolts of a joint frommovement in such a manner as to permit of their ready movement when itis necessary to tighten the same or to remove the nuts for thesubstitution of new rails or parts of the joint in repairing the trackstructure.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an outer side elevation of arail-joint embodying my invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are sections taken,respectively, on the lines 2 2 and 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a sideelevation of the outer fish-plate. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of thelocking-bar. Figs. 6 and 7 are respectively perspective views of theopposite ends of the outer fish-plate, showing the mode of connectingthe ends of the locking-bar therewith. Fig. 8 is a detail view of thekey.

Referring to the drawings, 1 and 2 represent the meeting ends ofadjoining railwayrails, which are shown as united through the usualconstruction of joint, comprising inner and outer fish-plates 3 and 4,which are, eX- cept as to details hereinafter described, of ordinaryconstruction. Bolts 5 pass through the webs of the rails and bodyportions of the fish-plates and carry nuts 6 to hold the parts inassembled relation.

-A locking-bar 7 is provided for simultane-- a holding lug or projection8, adapted to seat within a notch or recess 9, formed in one of the endsof the base-flange of the outer fish-l plate, said lug serving to holdthe bar against movement in one direction. The other end of the bar isformed with a vertical passage or key-seat 10, adapted to receive alockingkey 11. The apertured end 10 of the bar projects beyond theopposite end of the outer lish-plate and has the opening 10 thereinarranged to project partially beyond said end of the plate and partiallyin registering relation with a notch or recess 12, formed in the otherend of the base-Harige of said plate.

The key 11 is formed with a head 13 to bear against the upper face ofthe locking-bar and has a tapered shank 12 to fit within the opening 10,which is correspondingly tapered to bind the key therein. The shank 12is longitudinally slit or incised to form a pair of tongues 14 and 15,the tongue 14 being adapted to fit within the notch or recess 12 and thetongue 15 to lie beyond the adjacent end of the outer fish-plate and tobe bent inwardly at an angle to the bar to hold the key from upwardmovement and disconnection and the bar from longitudinal movement fromthe reverse direction to that against which it is held by the lug 8.

It will be understood that the bar is slipped into position beneath thenuts and between the same and the base-flange of the outer fish-plateand adjusted to seat the lug 8 in the recess 9, after which the key isapplied, thus locking the bar from movement yand holding the nuts fromretrograde rotation. Upon removing the key the bar may be detached topermit the nuts to be tightened to compensate for wear or to be removedwhen repairs are to be made or the rails are to be disconnectedfor anyother purpose. It will be apparent that the fastening is secure and thatthe bar cannot possibly be dislodged by any of the ordinary' jolts orvibrations to which the parts are subjected in use.

I-Iaving thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. Ina nut-lock, the combination with rails and 'fish-plates, bolts extendingtherethrough, and nuts applied to the bolts, of a locking-bar seatedupon the base-flange of one of said fish-plates and bearing against theundersides of the nuts, one end of said IOO bar being provided With alug engaging one of the ends of the plate, the bar extending beyond theopposite end of said plate and being provided in its opposite end with atapered opening, and a tapered key inserted through said opening andhaving a split shank, said shank 'forming a pair of tongues adapted tobe res ectively bent into engagement With the iisli-plate and againstthe adjacent end ofthe same to cooperate with said lug and thereby holdthe bar from Inovement.

2. In a nut-lock, the combination with rails and iish-plates, boltsextending therethrough, and nuts applied to thebolts, one of saidfish-plates being provided with recesses at its op osite ends, of alockingebar seated upon t e base-iiange of -said fishplate and bearingagainst the nuts, one end of the bar being provided with a lug to seat 2in one of said recesses and the other end thereof with a passage, and akey extending through said passage and having a pair of tongues, one oi'said tongues engaging the recess in the other end of the fish-plate andthe 2 other tongue being bent to bear against the end of the fish-plateto hold the bar from movement in the reverse direction and preventdisplacement of the key.

f In testimony whereof I ax my signature 3 in presence of tWo Witnesses.

JAMES R. THOMAS.

Vlitnesses:l

JAMES H. REYNOLDS, JAMES D. BIGGs.

